Shane ColeSouth Korean electronics giant Samsung has once again focused its marketing resources on mocking Apple, this time promoting the new Galaxy Tab Pro with a spoof of the "Pencil" ad used to introduce the iPad Air.
The ad, posted to Samsung's YouTube page on Wednesday, opens by slowly zooming on a pencil described as "extremely pointy." The camera then rises to reveal an iPad Air hiding behind the writing instrument as the voiceover expresses mild incredulity at the tablet's discovery.
As the camera moves beyond the iPad, Samsung's latest slate comes into focus. "Ah, the even thinner Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1," the voiceover exclaims before marveling at the Galaxy Tab Pro's profile, which is some eight one-thousandths of an inch more svelte than the iPad.
Other features like the Samsung tablet's 2,560-pixel-by-1,600-pixel screen — "for more robo beatdown action" — and Samsung's proprietary multitasking system are also called out, before the commercial's narrator elects to take both the Galaxy Tab Pro and the pencil.
Samsung's marketing team has made something of a habit out of poking fun at Apple's products, users, and advertising in recent years. A series of ads in 2012 ad took aim at Apple customers waiting in line to purchase the newest iPhone, while a subsequent set in 2013 called into question the iPhone's "cool factor" and its international language support.
Seoul-based Samsung also took a not-insignificant amount of heat for the commercial it used to launch its Galaxy Gear smartwatch last October. The spot was a near shot-for-shot recreation of Apple's original 2007 iPhone ad, even going so far as to use a aimilar clip from animated series The Flintstones.
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205 Comments
Rule #1 in the battle to win the #2 spot in the market: Compare yourself to the #1 product.
I must say, a multitasking feature on the iPad would be a big plus. On several occasions I wanted to access my email or look something up during a FaceTime session and I was quite annoyed that I couldn't without being kicked out of my session.
I still cannot believe that I cannot check my list of voicemails on my iPhone without hanging up first.
I do find the iPhone's narrow portrait screen useless for browsing the web, yes I'd love a larger screen. I browsed the internet on a SG5 and loved it, sorry but that's the truth.
The stylus would be nice for designers on the iPad, but I feel it would be no more more than a gimmick on a phone.
whatever
I still cannot believe that I cannot check my list of voicemails on my iPhone without hanging up first.
On what phone can you do that?
Yes great samsung ! Take your tab and your pencil, left the Air for me !